Gov. Blanco Goes To Washington, With Tin Cup In Hand
From the Washington Times...(Hat-tip: Wide Awake Cafe and Michelle Malkin)...Commentary thrown in for free ;).
http://wideawakecafe.blogspot.com/2005/09/governor-blancos-visit-to-wonderland.html
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/003630.htm
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050929-121305-9143r.htm
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, blamed by the former leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin for many of the city's post-hurricane problems, was given no questions about her response to Hurricane Katrina when she appeared before a Senate committee to plead for more federal money.
She asked not to be questioned about it and the senators agreed.
That was a stupid move. There are questions galore for this woman, and Mayor Nagin is not above the scrutiny either. He ordered the evacuation of New Orleans just a few short hours prior to Katrina making landfall, then climbed on board a helicopter, and flew to Houston.
Mrs. Blanco, a Democrat, was invited by the Senate Finance Committee to respond to charges by former FEMA Director Michael D. Brown, who the day before called Louisiana officials "dysfunctional" in handling the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"Today, I came really to talk about job creation," she said.
Read this as: We Need More Money. There should not be one single dime handed over until the proper checks are in place to keep an eye on the state government, and how they spend our money. And an investigation needs to be launched. We, the people, need to know how the state screwed up, and why. I am not spinning this. FEMA Director Brown has some culpability in this, but the majority of the blame—99% of it—falls on the shoulders of those in the state of Louisiana.
Later, she told reporters, "The facts will speak for themselves. I will tell our story when the time is appropriate."
In other words, she wants to be able to get her facts straight, and her spin straight before she comes out and gives her sad sob story. I get the distinct feeling she will come clean with her story when she is on the ropes. She is not there yet; she has taken a couple of good blows, but the investigation may prove to be the knockout punch.
Mr. Brown, who resigned from FEMA under a hail of criticism, testified Tuesday before the House select committee investigating the response to Katrina and blamed Mrs. Blanco and Mr. Nagin for the slow reaction to the flooding and devastation to the city.
He was questioned sharply by committee members of both parties. Rep. Christopher Shays, Connecticut Republican, called Mr. Brown "clueless."
And Chris Shays would know clueless, as he looks at a clueless person every morning in the mirror.
Republican senators at yesterday's hearing by the Finance Committee -- Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, Trent Lott of Mississippi, Olympia J. Snow of Maine, Jon Kyl of Arizona, Craig Thomas of Wyoming, Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Bill Frist of Tennessee, Gordon H. Smith of Oregon, Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Michael D. Crapo of Idaho -- agreed to Mrs. Blanco's request not to discuss her performance after the hurricane.
I am a bit miffed by this. Kyl is my senator. Santorum could easily become Senate Majority Leader should Frist be forced to step down during his SEC inquiry. (This, I doubt, but Santorum does have the cajones to run the Senate the way it should be run.) I would have expected both of them to throw out a question or two for the governor. Instead, the Finance Committee sat on it’s hands, and gave her free reign of the microphone.
Instead, she devoted her appearance to pleading for help to rebuild businesses and creating jobs in Louisiana. She said Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had wiped out a third of the state's economy.
"It's very important to have incentives for our workers to return, and in order to do that, we have to have incentives for business to return," Mrs. Blanco said, asking specifically for business tax write-offs for new investments, low-interest bonds for business borrowing and emergency business loans.
The Congress has already given the people a tax-break. I am sure one is on the way for the businesses in Louisiana. Congress may be dim at times, but they are not stupid. They know that they will have to help Louisiana get back on it’s feet. As a matter of fact, the Stanton Act from the late 1980’s makes it mandatory for the federal government to pick up as much as 75% of the tab for rebuilding. As Uncle Sugar makes no money, it will be our money going for this.
"Katrina and Rita brought our people and our economy to its knees," she said. "These storms knocked us down, but they didn't knock us out. And with your help and support, we will come back stronger and more prosperous than before."
Oh yes. Just hand her a check, and she will go home, and deal with her problems. That is until she gets home, and starts doling out the money to her cronies. A little here and a little there. The status quo will be kept, and she will be back in DC in a matter of months asking for more. This sort of game has gone on long enough in Louisiana.
The governors of two other states hit by Katrina -- Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama -- testified before the committee via closed circuit television. The committee is considering legislation that would provide tax incentives, health care aid and other financial assistance to the Gulf states devastated by the two storms.
Did I not just state that above? I thought I did. Does Gov. Blanco not pay attention to the news in DC regarding the hurricanes? Does she not know that Congress approved of 60 million dollars in emergency aid the day after Katrina. If she is this dense and incompetent, it would be advisable that the people toss her out of office on her ear.
The White House and committee members disagree over details of a health care package backed by Mr. Grassley and Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, the top Democrat on the panel. The legislation would ease eligibility requirements for storm victims for the Medicaid program for the poor, and provide federal assistance to help displaced workers maintain private insurance coverage.
The federal government would pay the full cost of Medicaid for disaster victims even though those costs are usually shared by the states. The White House said this week that it opposes the legislation. This appeared to anger the committee.
"We can work with everybody, including the administration, or against them, and I'm prepared to go either way," Mr. Lott said.
Mr. Grassley said he was prepared to hold up other legislation backed by the administration to get the health care bill passed. "It's just ludicrous that this bill can't move," he said.
What Sens. Grassley and Lott have forgotten is that such costs are still taken care of by the state as well as the federal government. And thus far, I am hearing a lot about spending money, and little about how they will keep an eye on how it is spent. Sen. Landrieu introduced a bill calling for 250 billion dollars in federal assistance to Louisiana, and very little is going for the rebuilding of New Orleans and other Louisiana cities ravaged by Katrina. The link below will take readers to where they can read what Sen. Landrieu has requested money for. And they say the highway bill had pork in it.
http://hannity.com/index/news-app/story.258/menu./sec./home.
Point being is that I see Gov. Blanco coming to DC with a tin cup in her hand, and I see no way to hold the state accountable for the funds they are requesting. It is not that I do not feel for the evacuees, and the Gulf Coast, but it is my money—our money—going for this. Louisiana has a history of being a bottomless rat-hole when it comes to federal dollars. All I ask is for a full accounting of the relief package. If the money is misspent, the next time something like Katrina comes ashore, we may be right back in this boat again.
The Bunny ;)
From the Washington Times...(Hat-tip: Wide Awake Cafe and Michelle Malkin)...Commentary thrown in for free ;).
http://wideawakecafe.blogspot.com/2005/09/governor-blancos-visit-to-wonderland.html
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/003630.htm
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050929-121305-9143r.htm
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, blamed by the former leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin for many of the city's post-hurricane problems, was given no questions about her response to Hurricane Katrina when she appeared before a Senate committee to plead for more federal money.
She asked not to be questioned about it and the senators agreed.
That was a stupid move. There are questions galore for this woman, and Mayor Nagin is not above the scrutiny either. He ordered the evacuation of New Orleans just a few short hours prior to Katrina making landfall, then climbed on board a helicopter, and flew to Houston.
Mrs. Blanco, a Democrat, was invited by the Senate Finance Committee to respond to charges by former FEMA Director Michael D. Brown, who the day before called Louisiana officials "dysfunctional" in handling the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"Today, I came really to talk about job creation," she said.
Read this as: We Need More Money. There should not be one single dime handed over until the proper checks are in place to keep an eye on the state government, and how they spend our money. And an investigation needs to be launched. We, the people, need to know how the state screwed up, and why. I am not spinning this. FEMA Director Brown has some culpability in this, but the majority of the blame—99% of it—falls on the shoulders of those in the state of Louisiana.
Later, she told reporters, "The facts will speak for themselves. I will tell our story when the time is appropriate."
In other words, she wants to be able to get her facts straight, and her spin straight before she comes out and gives her sad sob story. I get the distinct feeling she will come clean with her story when she is on the ropes. She is not there yet; she has taken a couple of good blows, but the investigation may prove to be the knockout punch.
Mr. Brown, who resigned from FEMA under a hail of criticism, testified Tuesday before the House select committee investigating the response to Katrina and blamed Mrs. Blanco and Mr. Nagin for the slow reaction to the flooding and devastation to the city.
He was questioned sharply by committee members of both parties. Rep. Christopher Shays, Connecticut Republican, called Mr. Brown "clueless."
And Chris Shays would know clueless, as he looks at a clueless person every morning in the mirror.
Republican senators at yesterday's hearing by the Finance Committee -- Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, Trent Lott of Mississippi, Olympia J. Snow of Maine, Jon Kyl of Arizona, Craig Thomas of Wyoming, Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Bill Frist of Tennessee, Gordon H. Smith of Oregon, Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Michael D. Crapo of Idaho -- agreed to Mrs. Blanco's request not to discuss her performance after the hurricane.
I am a bit miffed by this. Kyl is my senator. Santorum could easily become Senate Majority Leader should Frist be forced to step down during his SEC inquiry. (This, I doubt, but Santorum does have the cajones to run the Senate the way it should be run.) I would have expected both of them to throw out a question or two for the governor. Instead, the Finance Committee sat on it’s hands, and gave her free reign of the microphone.
Instead, she devoted her appearance to pleading for help to rebuild businesses and creating jobs in Louisiana. She said Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had wiped out a third of the state's economy.
"It's very important to have incentives for our workers to return, and in order to do that, we have to have incentives for business to return," Mrs. Blanco said, asking specifically for business tax write-offs for new investments, low-interest bonds for business borrowing and emergency business loans.
The Congress has already given the people a tax-break. I am sure one is on the way for the businesses in Louisiana. Congress may be dim at times, but they are not stupid. They know that they will have to help Louisiana get back on it’s feet. As a matter of fact, the Stanton Act from the late 1980’s makes it mandatory for the federal government to pick up as much as 75% of the tab for rebuilding. As Uncle Sugar makes no money, it will be our money going for this.
"Katrina and Rita brought our people and our economy to its knees," she said. "These storms knocked us down, but they didn't knock us out. And with your help and support, we will come back stronger and more prosperous than before."
Oh yes. Just hand her a check, and she will go home, and deal with her problems. That is until she gets home, and starts doling out the money to her cronies. A little here and a little there. The status quo will be kept, and she will be back in DC in a matter of months asking for more. This sort of game has gone on long enough in Louisiana.
The governors of two other states hit by Katrina -- Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama -- testified before the committee via closed circuit television. The committee is considering legislation that would provide tax incentives, health care aid and other financial assistance to the Gulf states devastated by the two storms.
Did I not just state that above? I thought I did. Does Gov. Blanco not pay attention to the news in DC regarding the hurricanes? Does she not know that Congress approved of 60 million dollars in emergency aid the day after Katrina. If she is this dense and incompetent, it would be advisable that the people toss her out of office on her ear.
The White House and committee members disagree over details of a health care package backed by Mr. Grassley and Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, the top Democrat on the panel. The legislation would ease eligibility requirements for storm victims for the Medicaid program for the poor, and provide federal assistance to help displaced workers maintain private insurance coverage.
The federal government would pay the full cost of Medicaid for disaster victims even though those costs are usually shared by the states. The White House said this week that it opposes the legislation. This appeared to anger the committee.
"We can work with everybody, including the administration, or against them, and I'm prepared to go either way," Mr. Lott said.
Mr. Grassley said he was prepared to hold up other legislation backed by the administration to get the health care bill passed. "It's just ludicrous that this bill can't move," he said.
What Sens. Grassley and Lott have forgotten is that such costs are still taken care of by the state as well as the federal government. And thus far, I am hearing a lot about spending money, and little about how they will keep an eye on how it is spent. Sen. Landrieu introduced a bill calling for 250 billion dollars in federal assistance to Louisiana, and very little is going for the rebuilding of New Orleans and other Louisiana cities ravaged by Katrina. The link below will take readers to where they can read what Sen. Landrieu has requested money for. And they say the highway bill had pork in it.
http://hannity.com/index/news-app/story.258/menu./sec./home.
Point being is that I see Gov. Blanco coming to DC with a tin cup in her hand, and I see no way to hold the state accountable for the funds they are requesting. It is not that I do not feel for the evacuees, and the Gulf Coast, but it is my money—our money—going for this. Louisiana has a history of being a bottomless rat-hole when it comes to federal dollars. All I ask is for a full accounting of the relief package. If the money is misspent, the next time something like Katrina comes ashore, we may be right back in this boat again.
The Bunny ;)
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 12:06 PM
2 Comments:
Here's a worthwhile relief project people should know about that doesn't cost taxpayers a cent. Volunteers for Careers at http://www.volunteersforcareers.com is offering free job search advice, resume writing, and career counseling to those who lost their jobs due to Katrina. There are over 700 volunteers signed up, each willing to help out 5 job-seekers.
CJ,
We appreciate the advice, but we have handed our contributions over to the relief efforts, willingly. The point of this was that until some questions are answered, we do not want a chack to handed over to the government of the State of Louisiana arbitrarily.
Please pay attention to the gist of the post before you use our site for advertising WITHOUT our permission.
Marcie
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